As I was leaving Target today, my attention focused on a conversation happening behind me. A mother was having a heart-to-heart with her daughter about the leap from elementary school to middle school, centered around the increase in responsibility. Passing through the automatic doors, I tired to imagine what the pair looked like without sneaking a peek, when my thoughts were interrupted by a young, excited masculine voice.
"It's already dark outside!" said a boy, with as much excitement as if he'd seen a cow jump over the moon.
Inherently funny, the child's exclamation brought an immediate response of laughter. I turned around to see the mother and daughter carrying on as expected, but behind them trailed a little boy with curly blond hair, resisting his mother with one hand while pointing to his wonderful discovery with the other. It struck me that the boy's joy in finding darkness when he expected light was probably just as meaningful as the very serious discussion happening between mother and daughter, yet it went entirely unnoticed.
We encounter a mountain of serious things everyday, but we hardly make an effort to find something amazing in those moments. Unfortunately, the serious stuff will keep on coming. However, there is an universe-worth of overlooked simplicities that are longing to be rediscovered. So, if we choose to see the world like a child (mind you this doesn't mean acting like a child, throwing tantrums and whatnot), every day can be filled with adventure.
